Automatic cut-off and filter



(No Model.) s Shets-Shet 1. E. O. FREMAUX. AUTOMATIC GUT-OFF AND FILTER.

No. 562,718. Patented June 23, 1896.

6 00006000000000 oouooooooooooo fl fl 1 35 3 INVEIVTUI? rwww ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. O. FREMAUX. AUTOMATIC GUT-OFF AND FILTER- No. 562,718. Patented June 23, 1896 INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS.

All!!! I BIMIAH mmouma. WASIMIGIOIJI C 3 Sheets Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

B. G. FREMAUX. vAUTOMATIC OUT-OFF AND FILTER.

Patented June 23, 1896.

oooooooo 000 ea h 0000 fiz ozsfl 00 00" 0000000000 5 lNVENTOR A TTOHNE Y8,

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD C. FREMAUX, OF RAYNE, LOUISIANA.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OFF AND FILTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 562,718, dated June 23, 1896.

Application filed J 111) 6 1895. Serial No. 555,130. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. FREMAUX, of Rayne, in the parish of Acadia and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Cut-01f and Filter,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to devices for discharging rain-water from a roof into a cistern or similar receptacle, the object being to provide a device whereby the initial flow of water from a roof, at the beginning of a rainstorm, will be directed to the ground outside the cistern, thus preventing dirt and impurities that may have gathered on the roof during a long dry spell from entering the cistern, and then, after the roof shall have been thoroughly cleaned or washed, to direct the water into the cistern.

With this end in view the invention consists in a receiver attached to the lower end of a water-leader, and comprising two legs or members, one of which is extended into the cistern and the other directed to the outside thereof, and having means for automatically changing the direction of the water flow.

It further consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, as will hereinafter appear, and be more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cut-off and filter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing one position of the cutoff valve. Fig. 4 is a similar section, but showing the valve in a reverse position; and Figs. 5 and 6 show modifications.

Referring by the reference-characters to the drawings, A designates the shell or oasing, comprising two legs or members A A communicating through ducts a a with the mouth a into which the water spout or leader a extends.

The legs A A are sufliciently separated to allow the device to be placed and secured on the wall of a cistern or other receiver X, with one leg, A, inside the cistern and the other leg, A outside thereof.

wardly-extendin g plates 0 movable in guideways 6 secured to the opposite sides of the shell or casing A, and coiled springs B are connected at one end to lateral projections I) on the bucket and at the other end to lateral projections 22 at the upper end of the guideways 6 The rock-shaft Z) at each end is turned at substantially right angles to the body portion of the shaft, forming arms Z1 which engage between pins b extended outward from the plates b The bottom wall of the duct ct is extended across the leg A and an opening 0 is formed in such extended portion, through which water may flow to the bucket 13. To prevent vegetable matter or other such substances that may be washed off a roof from passing through the opening 0, I place a wire screen or netting C over the same, and as a means for regulating the size of the opening 0 I employ a slide-plate C, movable beneath the screen 0 and having an opening through it corresponding in size to the opening 0.

The walls of the leg A at their lower portion are provided with perforations c, and the leg is provided with a removable bottom closure 0 which also may be perforated. IVithin the leg A is a filtering material such, for instance, as charcoal, but I do not limit the invention to any particular filtering material. If desired, a perforated plate 0 may be removably placed on the filtering material.

The operation of the device is as follows: The normal position of the valve B, or during dry weather, is as shown in Fig. 3. When a rain-storm commences, the greater part of the water from the roof will at first discharge through the duct a to the ground, carrying with it the dirt and other refuse that may be ISO on the roof. A small portion of the water will enter the bucket B through the opening a, and when a sufficient weight or amount of water shall have entered the bucket to overcome the resistance of the springs B the bucket will be forced downward, thus rocking the shaft 1) and shifting the valve B to the position shown in Fig. 4, and then of course the water will filter through the material G into the cistern. As the water is running into the cistern, the sponge b in the bottom perforation of the bucket B will allow a very gradual discharge of water from the bucket, so that the springs may draw the bucket upward and shift the valve to its normal position. The discharge from the bucket is designed to be very slow, so that the valve will not be returned to its normal position until the rain shall have ceased, but if the rainstorm were a prolonged one the weight of water flowing over the valve through the duct a would have a tendency to hold the valve in that position even though the water be all discharged from the bucket.

The inflow of water to the bucket may be regulated by setting the slide-valve C, so that the washing process of a roof may be continned for a greater or less length of time, and by means of the valve 0 the device may be adapted for large or small roots, that is, when the device is attached to the waterleader of a large roof, the valve should be moved to restrict the passage to the bucket, so that a large mass of water may pass oft before filling the bucket. IVhen the roof is in the form of the upper portion of the shell to adapt the device to roofs having but slight pitch and also to accommodate it to cisterns that reach to or nearly to the eaves of a roof.

In Fig. 5 the entrance end D and the end D, discharging into the cistern, are in the same substantially horizontal plane, and communieating with these parts is the vertical leg D on which the bucket B moves, as in the first example of my improvement. The valve B is in position to allow the discharge of water and dirt through an opening in the side d, until suificient water shall have entered the bucketto shift the valve to close said outlet, and then the clear water will discharge into the cistern through the filter.

In Fig. 6 the water from the house-pipe enters at D and first discharges to clean the roof through an opening in the side d, and after shifting the valve the water will discharge into the cistern through the part D, which is at a slight downward angle to the part D It will be seen that my device is wholly automatic in its operation, so that no attention. is required from the occupants of a house.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a device of the class described, a shell or casing comprising two outlets for water, the walls of one outlet being provided with perforations, a perforated removable bottom closure for the outlet, a filtering material in said outlet, a valve, and the gravity-bucket for operating the valve, substantially as s pecified.

ED WARD C. FREMAUX.

\Vitnesses:

J. L. GOULD, CHAS. D. SMITH. 

